I am looking for some opinions on a problem that I have been having recently after hooking a fish. I sometimes have alot of slack line laying on the water at my feet. I always try to real it in as soon as a fish is hooked . I have always held the rod with my right hand and the fly line uner my right index finger to keep control of the line as I real in the slack to play the fish on the reel . A few times recently I indvertently clapped down on the line with my finger and lost a few fish. So I started to just let go of the line with my right index finger after setting the hook and realing in the slack line while just griping the rod and not guiding the line with my index finger . I still lost a fish while doing this but landed a few others . I am just curiuos as to what other fly fishermen do to fight the fish on the reel as fast as possible ? Does having that slack line coming off of the reel for just a few seconds make a huge difference in landing or losing a fish ?

i use the finger pinch reel in the slack. i have not lost a fish doing that yet. when i hook a fish i set the line by stripping in and lifting my rod<most times> when line is tight from my finger to the fish i clamp my finger down. then use my left hand to reel in the exess line. i also keep my rod high.

but you could just play the fish and leave out the slack line and use your finger like a drag. when the slack is used up it will be tight when u go to reel it.

When I set the hook, I pick up as much slack as I can/need to with my left hand using a big strip and raise my rod tip up. Then, I continue to hold the line with my left hand and the rod with my right. By altering the pressure on the line with my left fingers, I try to get the fish to take out all the slack so I can get 'im on the reel. If it's not happening, I play the fish with my hand. If at some point, he takes a run, I just use my fingers as a makeshift drag system.

I'm not sure if this is proper, but after a good hook set, I almost never lose fish.

Redsun, I agree 100% that is how I fight them. If they do come off it's because the hook set was weak. Many times unless there is alot of flyline at my feet I will strip them all the way in and may not use the reel at all!

For small fish, I just strip em in. But for even average or larger fish, I do try to get em on the real. I strip at first to get a good bow in the rod. Then I hold the line with my rod hand while reeling in the slack. While holding the line, you can adjust pressure by raising or lowering the rod, and if the fish really makes a run, then give him some line by letting it slip through your hand.

The key is before the hookset, try not to have too much slack! It makes everything after that much easier and quicker. And with huge fish, like steelhead and trophies, make sure your in position to give them line if they want it, and get it on the reel as quickly as possible and let your drag do the work from there.

Pinch the line between your thumb and index to set the hook. Lift the slack line immediately next to your reel with your pinky, while pulling slightly to put tension against the reel. So you end up with a giant loop between your pinch and your pinky which accounts for all the slack. Continue to play the fish by releasing more line when needed with your thumb and index WHILE you reel very quickly in against the tension on your pinky until all line is on the reel. When done right there will not be any slack in the line at any time. Sounds a bit confusing but with a little practice you'll be doing it second hand without even thinking about it.

Posted on: 2010/7/9 23:28

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"I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance. Now I like fishing because it's the one thing I can think of that probably doesn't." --John Gierach

i used to have that problem what i do is ill reel in excess line leaving a foot or 2 out through my drift that way its a little easier to get them on the reel or ill just strip the fish in keeping the line tight but not too tight also letting the fish run a bit with out stressing it out too much

Posted on: 2010/7/12 19:33

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fly fishing - an addiction in which no one wants an intervention

Greenghost probably described what to do the best but before you get a giant monster pasta pile how far are you casting and if you cast that far can you see a hit? Don't over cast to accumulate a pile of line to start with. Monitor the amount of line you have piled between casts, reel some in if you have to. When you get a fish ignore the pile, pinch the line between your index and thumb but don't reel. strip line as you feel the give and take. You can reel up the rest later. It looks pretty to cast far until you have to undo wind knots, etc. I've been there, just waiting to get out.